Black Pepper Free Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese
Creamy, tangy, and surprisingly rich, this plant-based spread delivers everything you love about classic cream cheese — without a single animal product or a single grind of black pepper in sight. Soaking raw cashews until they're plump and soft is the real secret here, transforming them into a silky base that blends down to an almost impossibly smooth texture. Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar bring that signature dairy-like tang, while refined coconut oil gives the finished spread its luscious, spreadable body once it chills in the fridge. A touch of onion powder rounds out the flavor, and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast (totally optional) adds a subtle savory depth that makes it taste even more like the real thing. So many store-bought dairy-free alternatives sneak in spice blends that can include black pepper, making label-reading a constant chore — blending this up at home means you control every single ingredient. Slather it on a bagel, use it as a dip, or spread it across crackers; the texture firms up beautifully after that final hour in the refrigerator and holds its shape like a dream.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 2–4 tbsp cold water, as needed
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Soak for at least 4 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator, until the cashews are plump and noticeably softened.
- 2
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews under cold running water.
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